14-Day ~ Scotland, Shetland & Norway Cruise (June 2012)

Holland America

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There's no better way to start your summer than by taking a cruise out of Holland to Scotland, Shetland and Norway onboard the beautiful Rotterdam with one of the world's leading Shetland lace experts, Joan Schrouder. Join Craft Cruises as we set sail out of Rotterdam to some of the most scenic cruising areas in the world on a Norwegian coastal voyage that includes Shetland and Scotland. What a great combination of ports and scenic cruising. Enjoy the backdrop of dramatic landscapes as you learn new knitting skills and shop for trendy European yarns.

On this cruise you will have the opportunity to visit these places and more along the way.

de Afstap

Amsterdam's largest yarn store, de Afstap is only about a two minutes walk from Dam Square. This store is dedicated to knitting but also has a nice selection of cross-stitch and embroidery kits upstairs. Here you will find different kinds of yarns such as Rowan tweeds, cottons, and some really interesting "glimmer prints". There is also a huge selection of books and magazines (Dutch, English, American, Scandinavian, Estonia, Japan etc.) and a full range of needles, sock yarn and other knitting accessories. For lace knitters there is Misti Lace yarn and from Sweden Mora Redgarn, a 100% wool lace yarn in several colors.

Sommerfuglen

This is a fantastic store is very centrally located and easy to find. Every year Craft Cruises visits the owner, Ditte, has arranged wonderful trunk shows with local designers. Denmark is blessed with leading designers including Vivian Hoxbro, Hanne Falkenburg and Marianne & Helga Isager among others. Sommerfuglen carries many very popular kits at prices below what you can get in the US.

Dale of Norway

Dale of Norway has been producing the finest quality yarns and knitwear in the world since it was founded in 1879. Touring the factory and shopping in the factory outlet store will be a trip highlight for sure. Discounts of 30-70% make shopping at the Dale outlet store a bargain. You'll find other stores in and around Bergen selling Dale yarn and their designer garments are available throughout Norway and the world. Dale of Norway takes much pride in being the the world's largest manufacturer of classic and innovative Norwegian knitwear and technical outerwear.

The Shetland Museum

The Shetland Museum is home to a large Textiles Collection, two-thirds of which comprises objects and information related to knitting in Shetland. Here you will find a wide variety of knitwear such as lace shawls, stoles, veils, color-patterned or 'Fair Isle' jumpers, caps, scarves, socks, mittens and plain knitted garments such as haps, spencers, socks, scarves, and blankets. Advertisements and published knitting patterns related to Shetland knitting, a large library of historical photographs showing knitwear in Shetland from the second half of the nineteenth century and tools related to knitting, including belts, sheaths, and needles, are included in the collection.

Jamieson & Smith

Jamieson & Smith, the Shetland Wool Brokers, also know as J & S, is the company that purchases and has processed the majority of the fleeces from the flocks in the Shetland Islands. We will meet Oliver Henry, the manager of J & S and the world's expert on classing Shetland fleeces, learn about Shetland fleeces and yarns, and have the opportunity to purchase yarns, including the wonderful Shetland Supreme lace weight and cobweb weight yarns recently developed by J & S.

Artisan Threads (Naim) Invergordon, Scotland

Artisan Threads Studio is too far away for us to visit but, the owner, Gill has arranged to set up a trunks show and yarn sale specially for our group in port within walking distance of the cruise ship. Gill Challis' yarns, fleece and fibers are dyed in her studio in the beautiful Scottish Highlands, using natural dyes that produce earthy tones. She features both hand-spun and commercial spun yarns are from British breeds. Her fleece is sourced from colored sheep breeds. While our silk fibers, threads and yarns are imported from India. Artisan Threads also source waste sari yarn and banana fibre to compliment our range.

Spinners, weavers, knitters and embroiderers find these dyed fleeces, yarn and threads a pleasure to work with and enjoy the color range and variety of fiber blends offered.

k1 Yarns Knitting Boutique

This shop is located right in the center of Edinburgh and has been supplying beautiful and unusual yarns to knitters and crocheters in Scotland since 2005. A very popular knitwear designer and producer of local Scottish handspun yarns, Gill McClintock will be doing demonstrations and talking about her inspirations as our group visits the store.

k1 Yarns Knitting Boutique stocks a wide range of unique Scottish yarns. Katharine, the owner, loves yarns from small independent producers and over the past few years has worked with UK artisans such as Fyberspates to introduce many new yarns never before available in Scotland. For the truly uncommon, Katharine has also sought out yarns from farther a field, such as our very unusual linen paper yarns, silk, wool and stainless steel blends and new copper yarns from Japan.